T Shaped Literacy

 I have really been struggling with T-shaped literacy and how to use it in the classroom. After some research, I think I've been taking the wrong approach. As a teacher, sometimes it's hard to let go and realise that children are actually able to choose their own books. Also, if they choose their own reading texts, they are more likely to find it interesting.

This week I had GREAT success putting t-shaped literacy into my lesson. We were looking at the character strength of 'Bravery'. I read an article on Sir Edmund Hillary and the children had copies that they could follow with me. We then discussed different questions about the text format and the content. What were his struggles? What is he known for? What else has he achieved? How did the text describe him? Why do you think he was brave? The answers were fabulous with someone even saying that he was brave to keep doing his charity work after losing his family in an aeroplane crash.

The next step was for children to select their own text from a range of journals sourced for their stories, articles or plays about bravery. Children were then grouped with people with the same book. They chose a character in their book, and answered the same questions on a table.

The final stage of the lesson (over 3 or 4 days) was a whole class discussion on how this text relates to our own life. When have we had struggles? When have we been brave? Children relate things that happened in their fictional text to things that have happened to them in their own life.

I felt absolutely chuffed that it went as smooth as it did. Next week we will be looking at the character strength 'Hope'. I hope to take this theme further with tasks to show children the difference between having hope, and not. Our term theme is 'If it's to be, it's up to me!' I'd like children to understand that if they tried to do something and weren't successful the first time, they should try and try again. This is where 'hope' and 'bravery' come in. 

Fingers crossed it all goes to plan! I teach wonderful kids who never fail to surprise me with what they discuss and with their different ways of seeing things.

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